The Heart's Desires
by Harmonie Eternal
Summary: A sleepover at Taiki's house changes a friendship into something more. When love blossoms between Taiki and Zenjirou, in a society where homosexuality is a stigma, can their love cope with the challenges in front of them? As if that isn't enough to worry about, Kaori, Zenjirou's kendomaster has an eye on him. Will the lovers survive?


_Hi everyone. This is my first fanfiction ever. It is mainly fluff for now but I think it'll write itself. This was on my alternate account but seeing as I can not post other fics on that one, I decided to post it here. Thanks to **Aiko Isari **for betareading this chapter! This is written for the Novel with Prompts Challenge, using the prompt 'astonishing'_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 1-<strong>

It had been five years since the defeat of Quartzmon and everyone returned to their normal lives. The digimon had come to visit them for a small period but then returned to the digital world. Everyone tried to keep in touch as Taiki and Tagiru made sure of it. Taiki called everyone once in two weeks at least to see how everything was going with everyone. He also hung out with Tagiru, Yuu and Akari when he could. Kiriha was missing like always and Zenjirou…he seemed to be missing a lot. He couldn't even remember the last time he had seen the other.

They hadn't hung out for awhile. Sure, they e-mailed but they hadn't talked on the phone in ages and physically they hadn't spent time together for awhile. Taiki had decided it had been enough and invited Zenjirou over to hang out. After all, he hung out with Akari, Tagiru and Yuu all the time. Zenjirou was a dear friend to him even though the way their friendship began was so strange.

Taiki sat at his desk, pondering the first time he had faced Zenjirou in that kendo match, to help a person from his school out. He smiled fondly, remembering how Zenjirou had stormed up to him, demanding a rematch. If he had never come to them that day, he would never have grown the place in his heart that he had today. As the Hunting began, Akari and Zenjirou had been the only ones he had really remained in touch with. Akari was his childhood friend and Zenjirou always had a special place in his heart.

He was so innocent and open, seeing the world like a ray of sunshine but understanding that the sun would set eventually. It was in a sense like Taiki himself. Wanting to see the world as something beautiful and precious, and to think of the things that made the world good rather than what made it bad. It was strange but he was almost nervous, inviting Zenjirou over. It had been a month since they had a proper conversation over e-mail or on the phone. It wasn't that he thought his friend had changed but it wasn't like Zenjirou not to answer his e-mails.

All thoughts fled from his mind as he heard the doorbell ring and the brunette quickly stood up to answer it.

"Zenjirou," Taiki said, a bright smile gracing his features.

"Hey Taiki!" Zenjirou greeted, his usual cheerful smile lighting his face.

However, Taiki noticed whilst Zenjirou was smiling, his usual fiery spark was not in his eyes. This made him frown in concern for a moment, before pushing it aside temporarily and inviting his friend inside.

The two of them decided to watch a horror movie. There was a latest one out in the cinema and Zenjirou had managed to download it free online, bringing it over. It was a good movie but Zenjirou was easily frightened by it and clung to Taiki's arm, cuddling up to him almost subconsciously.

Taiki, upon realising this, flushed but knowing it made his friend feel better allowed him to cling to him.

_It feels kind of nice…_Taiki flushed more, looking over at Zenjirou. It felt nice but the main thing was it also made his friend feel better. _He looks so cute when he's all frightened…even though if I ask him, he'll probably never admit it. _He held back laughter at the thought. His friend had a lot of pride inside him but the movie had him too distracted.

He suddenly stopped, it was as if his thoughts came to a pause.

_Wait, what am I thinking? Did I __**just **__think Zen was cute? _Taiki's eyes had widened slightly upon thinking of this.

"Just wait, my son will find the perfect girl for himself since he's such a gentleman," Taiki could hear his mother's words from a few days ago clearly in his head.

The brunette winced at the memory as he looked at his friend but then shook away his thoughts. _I can't think like this…it's just a silly train of thought, Mum's right, I'll find a nice girl someday…_

Whilst the girl he was closest to was Akari, she felt more like his sister and dearly cherished friend rather than someone he was sexually attracted to. Just thinking about that made his cheeks heat up, although Zenjirou didn't seem to notice. At least, it didn't seem like it. He seemed engrossed in the movie.

The movie also seemed to distract Zenjirou from whatever he had seemed down about. Taiki felt the other shudder near him as a rather horrific scene came up.

A friend of the protagonist had their head chopped off in a rather gruesome manner. This made Taiki grimace as well. He didn't mind it as much seeing as it was a horror movie but it was still a bit too graphic for his liking.

"If you're scared, we can stop the movie," Taiki assured, not wanting to keep watching if it was making his friend uncomfortable but the other immediately shook his head.

"I'm just cold," Zenjirou immediately covered for himself, not wanting Taiki to think he was a coward or anything.

Taiki smiled a little at that. It was so typical of Zenjirou to put his pride above admitting that he was cold. However, he didn't point out the fact. He didn't want to wound his friend's pride again by telling him he was scared instead of cold so he gently wrapped his arms around the other, forgetting the movie momentarily.

"Does that feel better?" Taiki asked and watched Zenjirou flush a little before nodding.

Taiki tilted his head to look into his friend's eyes. He didn't know what was wrong with him. His stomach was giving unpleasant jolts but not in a bad way. He was having strange thoughts in his head about his friend, thoughts he should be having about Akari or Nene or any other girl. Was it even right to have these thoughts for another male? He didn't know. The speed at which his heart was beating, he just didn't know what he was feeling. Thrill? Fear? Attraction?

He saw Zenjirou's lips move, trying to focus on what he was saying. _Ok it's just late and this horror movie is making me think in an odd way because it's so disturbing…that's all. _Yet no matter how much he tried to convince himself, he found himself gazing more at Zenjirou's lips, then his words

Before he could think much more of it though, warm lips pressed against his. He forgot everything in that moment other than the fact that Zenjirou was kissing him. His mind went blank and all thoughts of concern left his head.

_I had no idea Zenjirou was this warm…_The feeling of Zenjirou's warm lips meshed into his own were a feeling of pure bliss. His heart beat even faster as he relaxed, leaning closer to the kiss and responding almost eagerly. It was as if nothing else mattered. Nothing besides the two of them in this moment was important.

It seemed Zenjirou wasn't completely sure about his feelings as he suddenly jumped and pulled away, looking horribly awkward and uncomfortable. Or it seemed so considering his eyes were wide and he quickly turned his gaze to the ground. He kept on twiddling his fingers and despite his friend's (or was he something more now?) awkwardness, Taiki had to hide his amusement at how flustered the usual confident Zenjirou looked.

"Sorry!" Zenjirou yelped. "I dunno what came over me, it just it felt so nice with you holding me like that and then we were both so silent." He was rambling as he kept on going into silent apologies.

Taiki tilted his head to look at him as he continued to ramble. He looked adorable like that, fidgeting and talking non-stop. He reached to grab Zenjirou's hands in his own, making him go silent in his rambling.

"Zen?" he said softly, using the nickname he had developed for him over the years of them being friends. As Zenjirou looked into his eyes, he felt himself beginning to blush furiously, his own breath hitched and he suddenly felt nervous. No he could do this. For once, pushing aside doubts, he made forth to ask what was on his mind. "Can you...can you kiss me again?"


End file.
